Adjusting sound on a medical device

Abstract

A dialysis machine comprising: a microphone; an alert module for producing an audible alert related to an operating condition of the dialysis machine; and a processing module configured for: receiving, from the microphone, information related to measured noise; determining, based on the information related to measured noise, an audible alert that will not be masked by the measured noise when the audible alert is produced by the alert module; and providing, to the alert module, instructions for producing the audible alert.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A dialysis machine comprising:
 a microphone; 
 an alert module for producing an alert that is recognizable by a listener as relating to an operating condition of the dialysis machine; and 
 a processing module configured for:
 receiving, from the microphone, information related to measured noise that originates from a source other than the dialysis machine; 
 determining, based on the information related to the measured noise, an audible level of a characteristic of the measured noise, wherein the characteristic is volume; 
 determining an alert having an audible level that is audibly discernable from the audible level of the characteristic of the measured noise when the alert is produced by the alert module, wherein a volume level of the alert is maintained within a threshold volume level of the audible level of the characteristic of the measured noise to prevent a patient receiving treatment from the dialysis machine from being startled by the alert; and 
 providing, to the alert module, instructions for producing the alert. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The dialysis machine of  claim 1 , wherein the processing module is configured to identify a type of the measured noise. 
     
     
       3. The dialysis machine of  claim 2 , wherein the measured noise is ambient noise. 
     
     
       4. The dialysis machine of  claim 2 , wherein the measured noise is a second alert. 
     
     
       5. The dialysis machine of  claim 4 , wherein the second alert is related to an operating condition of a second dialysis machine. 
     
     
       6. The dialysis machine of  claim 3 , wherein the information related to the ambient noise includes a measurement of a volume of the ambient noise. 
     
     
       7. The dialysis machine of  claim 6 , wherein the instructions cause the alert module to produce an alert that is louder than the volume of the ambient noise. 
     
     
       8. The dialysis machine of  claim 4 , wherein the information related to the second alert includes a measurement of a timing of the second alert. 
     
     
       9. The dialysis machine of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the alert module to produce an alert that has a timing that is out of phase with the timing of the second alert. 
     
     
       10. The dialysis machine of  claim 4 , wherein the information related to the second alert includes a measurement of a frequency of the second alert. 
     
     
       11. The dialysis machine of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the alert module to produce an alert of a frequency different from the frequency of the second alert. 
     
     
       12. The dialysis machine of  claim 11 , wherein the alert has a frequency that is within a predefined range. 
     
     
       13. The dialysis machine of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions for producing the alert are based at least in part on the type of the measured noise. 
     
     
       14. The dialysis machine of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions for producing the alert are based at least in part on a priority of the alert. 
     
     
       15. The dialysis machine of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions cause the alert module to produce an alert that is louder than lower-priority alerts that are measured by the microphone. 
     
     
       16. A method comprising:
 receiving, from a microphone of a dialysis machine, information related to measured noise that originates from a source other than the dialysis machine; 
 determining, based on the information related to the measured noise, an audible level of a characteristic of the measured noise, wherein the characteristic is volume; 
 determining an alert that is recognizable by a listener as relating to an operating condition of the dialysis machine, the alert determined such that the alert has an audible level that is audibly discernable from the audible level of the characteristic of the measured noise when the alert is produced by an alert module of the dialysis machine, wherein a volume level of the alert is maintained within a threshold volume level of the audible level of the characteristic of the measured noise to prevent a patient receiving treatment from the dialysis machine from being startled by the alert; and 
 providing, to the alert module, instructions for producing the alert. 
 
     
     
       17. A system comprising:
 a dialysis machine comprising:
 a microphone; 
 an alert module for producing an alert that is recognizable by a listener as relating to an operating condition of the dialysis machine; and 
 a processing module configured for:
 receiving, from the microphone, information related to measured noise that originates from a source other than the dialysis machine; 
 determining, based on the information related to the measured noise, an audible level of a characteristic of the measured noise, wherein the characteristic is volume; 
 determining an alert having an audible level that is audibly discernable from the audible level of the characteristic of the measured noise when the alert is produced by the alert module, wherein a volume level of the alert is maintained within a threshold volume level of the audible level of the characteristic of the measured noise to prevent a patient receiving treatment from the dialysis machine from being startled by the alert; and 
 providing, to the alert module, instructions for producing the alert. 
 
 
 
     
     
       18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing a computer program including instructions for causing a computer to:
 receive, from a microphone of a dialysis machine, information related to measured noise that originates from a source other than the dialysis machine; 
 determine, based on the information related to the measured noise, an audible level of a characteristic of the measured noise, wherein the characteristic is volume; 
 determine an alert that is recognizable by a listener as relating to an operating condition of the dialysis machine, the alert determined such that the alert has an audible level that is audibly discernable from the audible level of the characteristic of the measured noise when the alert is produced by an alert module of the dialysis machine, wherein a volume level of the alert is maintained within a threshold volume level of the audible level of the characteristic of the measured noise to prevent a patient receiving treatment from the dialysis machine from being startled by the alert; and 
 provide, to the alert module, instructions for producing the alert. 
 
     
     
       19. The dialysis machine of  claim 1 , wherein the alert is audible over the measured noise and is not masked by the measured noise. 
     
     
       20. The dialysis machine of  claim 1 , comprising:
 determining, based on the information related to the measured noise, a frequency of the measured noise; and 
 determining the alert based at least in part on the frequency of the measured noise. 
 
     
     
       21. The dialysis machine of  claim 1 , comprising:
 determining, based on the information related to the measured noise, a timing of the measured noise; and 
 determining the alert based at least in part on the timing of the measured noise.